We look at the brutal practice of stoning. This method of execution is still practiced in certain countries, notably Iran, where it is used to punish adulterers and other criminals. The graphic below looks at how a stoning occurs in accordance with the Iranian Penal Code.

PREPARATION OF THE CONDEMNED ADULTERER

Officials and witnesses involved in the case Article 102 – The condemned has his or her are summoned to appear 48 hours before the hands bound and is wrapped in three pieces scheduled execution. The law stipulates that of white shroud in accordance with Muslim executions take place at dawn. burial practices.

Article 10 – Tells the advising clergyman to The International Committee Against Stoning counsel the condemned to repent, share his said one woman was lain beside the hole as it or her last will, and recommend that he or was being dug, then placed in it, and then she submit to a ritual pre-burial washing with removed from the pit again when it was lotus water, camphor water and pure water found to be too shallow. Her agonizing wait in advance of the stoning, so that the body for death was prolonged as she listened to will be ready for burial after the execution. the sound of the shovels.

Article 12 – If the condemned asks for food or drink, the officers are obliged to provide it except for when the request is made only to delay the execution of sentence.

INSTRUMENTS OF EXECUTION THE BANNING OF STONING

Article 104 – “The size of the stone used in Although Head of the Judiciary Ayatollah stoning shall not be too large to kill the Shahroudi issued a moratorium on stoning in Iran convict by one or two throws and at the in 2002, stoning is still used as a sentence for same time shall not be too small to be called those found guilty of adultery. a stone.” That is, pebbles are ruled out, but so are rocks big enough to kill quickly. As Slate magazine explained, the stones should be “around the size of a tangerine.” PEOPLE SENTENCED TO STONING THIS ROCK WOULD NUMBER BE DEEMED 10 TOO SMALL 8

6

4 THIS THIS ROCK ROCK 2 WOULD BE WOULD BE DEEMED TOO DEEMED 0 LARGE CORRECT 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

THE DAY OF THE STONING

Article 22 – The law Article 102 of the Islamic Penal Code reads: “An Article 16 – Officers carrying out the sentence are Article 23 – If the stoning enforcement or prison adulterer man shall be buried in a ditch up to near obliged to carefully examine and inspect the sentence is based on the officers are obliged to, as his waist and an adulterer woman up to near her implementation instruments, apparatus and condemned’s confession, the case may be, first dig chest and then stoned to death.” equipment and make sure that they are robust and then at the time of the place of carrying out ready for use to carry out the sentence. The execution, the sentencing the punishment as aforementioned items shall not be such that they judge will throw the first specified in Article 102 of MAN WOMAN may inflict torture, torment or stone and then the other the Islamic Penal Code of mutilation of the people. Iran and provide some condemned in excess to stones at the place, of what is required by the the size specified in sentence. Moreover, the Article 104 of the same entire implementation code. The judge in charge process shall be of carrying out the performed by the expert punishment shall initially individuals with inspect the above ultimate calmness mentioned preparations and without and then, after approving exercising it, issue the order for violence. carrying out the sentence.

1.1. 2. 3. 4.

Article 23 – But if the condemnation is based on Who are these “other people” at the stonings? Stonings can reportedly take anywhere from 20 Observers believe that since 2006, stone-throwers the testimonies of witnesses, then first the Iranian law originally intended for stoning to be minutes to two hours. According to the Interna- have tended to be recruited from volunteer witnesses will throw stones, then the mentioned conducted out in the open, with community tional Committee Against Stoning, the doctor paramilitary groups. Human rights activists assume judge and then other people. participation — the law even mandates that the recruited to oversee the execution (often against adult men comprise the bulk of stone-throwers, but proceedings be recorded and then shared via his will) will periodically stop proceedings to it is not known what age or gender restrictions, if newspapers and other media outlets. check if the victim is dead. any, govern stoning crews in contemporary Iran.

If not, the stoning resumes.

Article 103 - States that adulterers who were convicted on the basis of a confession can go free if they manage to wriggle out of their pit during the execution.

In a 2008 report Amnesty Interna- tional notes drily that women are at a disadvantage here. 5. 6. 7. 8.

ADAM MCDOWELL & RICHARD JOHNSON / NATIONAL POST SOURCES: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL; WOMEN LIVING UNDER MUSLIM LAWS; INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE AGAINST STONING